We've gone before and loved it: there are great little tent cabins with woodstoves inside and firepits and picnic tables out front. And the redwoods and nature are pretty incredible. One of David's patients calls anything that's not backpack camping "glamping," but I really enjoy not having to worry about packing and pitching a tent, and getting to concentrate on being there, enjoying nature, having fun, and, of course, good campfire cooking (stay tuned for future food post!). The tent cabins are $65 per night, so pricier than tent camping, but we find it a really happy medium as far as cost, comfort, and ease. You do have to reserve way ahead for weekends, and remember to bring quarters for hot showers!

Big Basin: the tent cabin site with cabin, table, and firepit

The time before we'd been in the fall for David's birthday, and we'd said we wanted to come back in the spring when the waterfalls in the area were really running. And we'd been talking about it for awhile with Donna and Dan, so this time we rented neighboring tent cabins with a path between, and split the cooking of meals with them.

Big Basin: Looking up through the redwoods and a burnt-out tree

We had a great time, took some good hikes, had some roaring fires, big laughs, and great meals. And it really felt like we were away and really had time to relax, breathe deeply, and sleep heavily. Once you get off 280 the drive there and back is also incredibly beautiful and winding.

Big Basin: Looking up close at fallen trees, trunk rings, and spider webs

So here's the added value feature I hope you'll enjoy: I always buy myself a(n early) birthday present, and this year it was one of those Flip video cameras whose reviews, ratings, and price I've been following (very reasonable at Amazon at the time); I tried it out on this trip, and have been trying out iMovie, so...ta-da..here's my first 'flick' (please excuse the shaky hand and cut-off foreheads...it is a first effort!):

Big Basin: The Movie

Please comment and let me know what you think...I do want to try more multi-media and highlight more of my photography on my posts. And remember you can always click on images in my posts to see a larger version.

pick my brain...

get inside my head!

'his head' examined...

this personal blog is my first, and its name refers to a whole slew of things, including: a. a play on the old retort to someone carping about something--the way people tend to do on blogs; b. the fact that one of the big barriers to me starting a blog was trying to narrow my subject matter--until i decided i could talk about it all here; c. that i have the tendency to stay in my head--and that i'm hoping this blog will be a place where i will not only share my thoughts, but speak from my heart about what i feel; and d., that maybe i'll create more if i share some of the (hopefully) more interesting strands that happen to run through my head on any given day--as they happen--instead of thinking that everything has to be a finished product.

a blog manifesto, or where is this all 'heading...'

salve! i've always struggled a little with being interested in a lot of things in life: writing, words, language, and good conversation; making art and taking photographs; building and making things by hand; design in many forms--graphic, architectural, landscape, urban planning; growing, cooking, eating, and sharing good food; equity, justice, and civil rights; and, building community and the commonweal. as time goes by i find myself understanding better that these are not divided into the serious or frivolous, the private or the public, the altruistic or hedonistic--or divided at all--that these diverse interests are all good, creative, and important; that they fit together to make 'me;' and feed each other and new journeys, affected by and affecting other people and what's happening in all of our lives. which is a long way of saying that i am blogging to share different bits of how i feel, see, create, or think about a lot of different things; that i'm hoping you may find it interesting, enjoyable, or useful; and, that it might spur some dialogue amongst all of us and help create the world we want in new ways. thanks for "getting inside my head..."

i'm a fourth-generation ex-new yorker who found home when i moved to san francisco in 2001. moving to northern california, going back to graduate school, and changing careers were three of the best decisions i've ever made.

i'm trained as a landscape architect and urban planner, and i've designed and overseen some great projects: inner-city parks, plazas, and campuses; neighborhood and downtown plans and streetscapes; multi-use trails and environmental restorations; urban farms and foodway plans; and transit centers, light-rail lines, and transit-centered communities, around the bay area and all over north america. right now, i'm working on a book about public space and society, and starting a not-for-profit organization that assists cities and regions in developing public-space strategic plans. i've had a lot of experience running and helping out not-for-profit organizations in new york and san francisco focused on public space, civic, philanthropic, advocacy, and queer issues.

i am also an artist: primarily a photographer and writer , but i also work and experiment in other media, and this year i have several shows of my work scheduled.

my amazing fiancé, david, is an extremely gifted chiropractor, and he and i have been together for almost six years.